Interleukin-3 (IL-3), a cytokine known to be produced by activated T lymphocytes, mast cells, eosinophils and neutrophils, is a potent stimulator of normal haemopoiesis, particularly megakaryocytopoiesis. However, it remains unknown whether leukaemic megakaryoblasts can produce IL-3 and whether IL-3 is involved in the pathological process of megakaryoblastic leukaemia. In this study, several human leukaemia cell lines with or without megakaryocytic features, the DAMI, MEG-01, HEL, K562, HL-60 and U937, were chosen as the models. It was first demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and indirect immunofluorescence assay that IL-3 was expressed in DAMI and MEG-01 cells, but not in other cell lines, although two erythroleukaemic cells, the HEL and K562, also possess some megakaryocytic features. Interestingly, the mRNA for IL-3 receptor was detected in nearly all the cell lines except K562 cells, suggesting that expression of IL-3 and its receptor may be dissociated in most of the cell lines and that co-expression of IL-3 and its receptor exists in megakaryoblastic cell lines, the DAMI and MEG-01. Of the cell lines which did not express IL-3 under unstimulated condition, only HEL cells were able to express IL-3 mRNA after treatment with PMA for 72 h. Furthermore, the proliferation of DAMI and MEG-01 cells could be enhanced in the presence of IL-3 and suppressed by the anti-IL-3 antibody and the IL-3 antisense oligodexyonucleotides (ODNs). These findings indicate that IL-3, as an autocrine growth factor, is involved in the growth of some megakaryocytic leukaemia cell lines.
We have previously shown that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis and granulopoiesis in vitro and that normal haematopoietic cells and several leukaemic cell lines express FGF receptors. In this paper, we demonstrate by reverse transcriptase‐mediated polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) that bFGF mRNA is expressed in two leukaemia cell lines with megakaryocyte features (Meg‐01 and K562), in two lymphocytic cell lines (Hut 78 and CA) and in normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In addition, the conditioned media of Meg‐01, but not Dami, contained a potent fibroblast‐stimulating activity which could be neutralized by bFGF antibodies. Furthermore, bFGF antibody significantly inhibited the autocrine growth of Meg‐01 cells in vitro. However, we could not detect cell‐associated 18 kDa bFGF or HMW bFGF by immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation or Western blotting. These data indicate that bFGF is expressed by certain haematopoietic cells and support further a role of this FGF prototype in haematopoiesis.
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